Illuminated sign



I. J. KUSEL.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED APR-6| l9l6.

1 ,400,296,- Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I. J. KUSEL. ILLUMINATED SIGN. APPLICATION FILED APR. 6, 1916.

1,400,296. I Patented Dec.13, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

lumpy UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISIDOB J. K'UsEL, orcnroaeo, nmm'oxs, essrenon. T0 STBONGHART COLE-ANY, or

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS. I

muilm'n'rm). SIGN.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Ismon J. KUsnL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in- Illuminated Signs, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formin a part of this specification.

y invention relates to illuminated signs.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a device which shall comprise a p1u rality of signs so that the eye may be attracted by the difl'erent character of the display matter and thereby the sign may be more-eflective.

A further object of the invention is to provide means by which the lighting efl'ect to the plurality of display devices may be varied, permitting the different signs to be lighed alternately or simultaneously as des1re A further object of the invention is to acquire simplicity of design and inexpen-- siveness of construction.

Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of an illuminated sign embodying my present invention;

2 is a cross section of the same; a F g. 3 is a longitudinal section of the Figs. 4 and 5 are views of details of construction;

1 Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical arrangement and connections of the si and ig. 7 is a supplemental diagrammatic view showing the position of the switch included in Fig. 6;

F g. 8 1s a view of a modified form of sign.

The sign shown in the drawings for illustrating the invention comprises a box or casing 1 conveniently mounted on legs 2. The

box or casing 1 is preferably made of trian lar cross section as shown in Fig. ne of the inclined side walls 3 is 2. preferably made stationary and into 1 with the bottom. The other side wall is provided with a swinging door 4 hinged at Specification of Letters Patent.

' sheet 8 is 5 so that it can be swung upwardly and outwardly about its upper horizontal edge.

This swinging door is constructed to form permit changing the sheet 8 and substituting another with a difi'erent inscription, a removable ring-like frame 10 is mounted on the inner side of said swinging door so as to hold said glass plates 6 and 7 with the sheet 8 between them in position in the SW111g'1 I1g frame, said swinging .frame 'being provided with pivoted dogsor catches 11 by which said framelO may be engaged and temporarily held in position, as shown in Fig. 5. By swinging saiddogs 11 about their pivotal points 12 thefframe 10 may be released and the two glass plates 6 and 7 removed and another sheet 8 with a diiferent inscription or slogan upon it may be sub- Patented Dec. 13, 1921. Application filed April 6, 1916. Serial No. 89,307.

stituted. In this way as many different disbox so that when lighted they will illuminate the display device formed by the swing ing door 4, the sheet, or sheets 8 being of suflicieritly thin or translucent material so that said lamps will be effective. Mounted upon the top 15 of the box 1 is a plate 16 of glass or other suitable material having suitable words or letters 17 v (Fig. 1)

. etched or otherwise formed upon it. The

words shown on said plate 16 are First National Bank. could be formed as occasion required and other plates with other words could be substituted in accordance'with the connstruction which will be hereinafter set forth. Said plate 16 is mounted between side flanges 18 which are separated from one another all the way down to their loweredges.

Of course other words Lighting devices such for example as the incandescent lamps 20, are mounted in the top of the box 1 and lengthwise of the same directly.below the plate 16 and the side flanges 18. Thus the light from these lamps 2O illuminates the plate 16 and forms an illuminated sign ordisplay device of the same, such devices being known sometimes in the trade as X-ray signs. In order to separate the two sets of lighting devices, a longitudinally extending partition 21 is arranged below the lamps and secured to the side walls of the box 1 so as to be held firmly in position; For ventilation, the ends of the box 1 are provided with a group of apertures or holes 22 for the lower set of lamps 14, and another group of apertures 23 for the upper lamps 20. Thus 1t will be seen that the device comprises two separate and distinct signs by reason of the two separate and distinct display devices 4 and 16. Both of-the display devices may be changed/so as to vary their inscriptions, thus permitting practically unlimited elasticity to the sign.

As a matter of further improvement I provide an arrangement by which the lighting devices are controlled to permit desired different lighting effects. Preferably the two groups or clusters of lamps are connected with circuit arrangements'by which either one of said groups of lamps may be lighted alone or. by which both be lighted at the same time. The circuit arrangement for accomplishing this is illustrated in Fig. 6. 'In this arrangement there are shown the upper lamps 20 bridged across circuit wires 25 and 26. There are on the market.

also shown the lower lamps 14 connected by conductor 27 with circuit wire 25. The wire 27 runs to a four way switch 28, as does also the conductor 26. The switch 28 is mounted on the rear wall of the box or casing 1, as shown in Fig. 2. Another con ductor 29 extends to one side or pole of the source of energy; another conductor 30 is connected with the other side or pole of the same. Thisconductor 30 runs to and connects with the conductor 25 at 31. Preferably I include a flasher 32in the conductor 25 and one or more flashers 33 in the.

conductor 27, as will be further explained. The four-way switch 28 has three arms 28, 28 and 28, and three contacts 34, 35 and 36, this being a well known type of threepoint, four-way switch such as now known In operation, with the switch 28 in its present position, connections will be made so that both the lights 14 and 20 will be lighted' This will appear by following the circuit as follows. From conductor 29 to arms, 28 and 28 conductor 26to lamps 20, thence to conductor 25 and back to source ofvenergy by way of conductor 30; also from conductor 29 and groups may switch arm 28 to switch arm 28, conductor 27 lamps .14, and back by conductor 30, the circuit thus being made in multiple through the two sets of lamps. This position of the switch 28 is indicated as position A in Fig. 7. When the switch 28 is turned one-quarter turn to the -right,.the arms are in the position indicated at B, Fig. 7. I In this position it is. obvious. that the arm 28 will be separated from the contact 34 and thereby no connection is made with either group of lamps, so that both groups will remain unlighted. By the next quarter turn of the switch 28 to the position shown at C,

7, the arm 28 has come to make contact with contact 36 and the arm 28 with contact 34. Thusconnection will be made from conductor 29 and contact 34 to switch arms 28 nd 28, and thence to conductor 27 lamps 14 and return conductor 30, thereby lighting the lower lamps 14, but making no connection with the upper lamps 20, there being no switch arm connection with the contact 35 forming one terminal of the upper lamp circuit. When the switch 28 is turned to the position shown at D, Fig. 7, the circuit is made from conductor 29 to switch arms 28 and 28 to contact 35 and thence by conductor 26 to upper lamps 20 and back by conductors 25 and 30, thereby lighting the upper lamps 20. There being no connection with the lower lamp circuit terminal 36, .the lower lamps remain unlighted. Thus by this three-point, fourway, switch either set of lamps may be independently lighte'd, the other remaining unlighted, or.both groups of lamps may be lighted simultaneously, or both may be extinguished. This permits a wide variety of lighting effects.

The flashers 32 and 33 are devices of a well known type upon the market and are preferably introduced into the circuit as lending very interesting and attractive effects in the lighting'result. These flashers operate in theirrespective circuits to dim and brighten the lights. For example, the

flasher 32 will automatically dim and brighten the lamps 20 when the circuit is closed through those lamps. The flasher or flashers 33, one being used preferably for each of the lamps 14 and attached to the It will be understood that changes and modifications may be made without departin from the spirit of the invention,

ivhat I claim is:

1. The combination of a box or casing made of elongated substantially triangular form, one of the inclined sides of said box or casing being hinged at its upper edge, said box or casing having its top provided with a longitudinally extending slot provided with a light pervious sign and lighting devices within said box or casing.

2. The combination of a box or casing made of elongated substantially triangular form, with one of its inclined sides hinged at its upper edge to form a swinging door, said side being provided with translucent material to form an illuminated sign, said box or casing having its top provided with a longitudinally extending slot provided with a light pervious plate forming an illuminated sign, a group of lighting devices located in the lower part of said box or casing for the sign formed by said swinging door, a second group of lighting devices located in the upper part of said casing for said light pervious sign, and a longitudinally extending partition between said groups of lighting devices.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 1st day of April, A. D. 1916.

ISIDOR J. KUSEL.

. Witnesses i A. LYDA JONES. HAZEL A. Jomcs. 

